By Paul Buttner at the Carlisle Grounds
Bray Wanderers 0-1 Drogheda United
Daryl Kavanagh’s first-half winner got Drogheda United’s SSE Airtricity League Premier Division season off to the perfect start as they defeated Bray Wanderers 1-0 at the Carlisle Grounds.
Defeat, though, was harsh on Bray who were the better side for good spells, but Alan Mathews' Wanderers simply lacked a cutting edge in attack.
Both sides were full of new faces, as Bray, with seven new signings in their starting XI, settled the better to create two early openings that might have brought them the lead.
The first saw skipper David Cassidy’s neat through ball put Chris Lyons in on goal after just three minutes. The striker’s finish was poor, though, as his scuffed shot was well wide when he should have done much better.
Cassidy was again the provider of Bray’s second chance seven minutes later when his third corner of the game found Hugh Douglas at the back post. The big central defender’s downward header was narrowly wide of Drogheda keeper Micheal Schlingermann’s left-hand post.
Drogheda settled and one of their chief close season signings, Kavanagh, showed his quality with the visitors first opening on 24 minutes, curling a shot from distance just wide.
A minute later Drogheda were in front.
Cassidy almost latched onto a poor back pass by Joe Gorman at one end. But Drogheda countered immediately. Schlingermann’s long clearance caught Bray out at the back and Kavanagh met Cathal Brady’s right-wing cross to head past Stephen McGuinness.
Bray pressed before the interval and were twice close to an equaliser.
Douglas saw his unorthodox effort off his chest from Daniel O’Reilly’s whipped free-kick go straight into Schlingermann’s arms.
Then, four minutes before the break, Lyons put Peter McGlynn in on the right only for the midfielder to shoot feebly across goal.
Schlingermann was alert to make the first real save of the game four minutes into the second half when pushing Luke Gallagher’s well-struck shot round a post.
Bray’s McGuinness was then called into action to make his first telling save of the night to prevent Drogheda doubling their lead six minutes later. Jason Marks set up Kavanagh, whose lob the Wanderers’ keeper did well to tip over for a corner.
A sweeping moved by Bray carved Drogheda open on 70 minutes.
The influential Cassidy put O’Reilly away on the left and his low cross was fired narrowly wide by Lyons as Bray‘s late endeavour went unrewarded.
Bray Wanderers: Stephen McGuinness; Michael Barker, Alan McNally, Hugh Douglas, Daniel O’Reilly; Peter McGlynn (Emeka Onwubiko 66), Ryan McEvoy, Luke Gallagher, Jack Memery; David Cassidy (Peter Durrad 83); Chris Lyons.
Drogheda United: Micheal Schlingermann; Mick Daly, Neil Yadolahi, Lloyd Buckley, Joe Gorman; Cathal Brady (Lee Duffy 86), Stephen Maher, Sean Thornton, Jason Marks (Carl Walshe 90+2); Daryl Kavanagh, Sean Brennan (Michael Scott 81).
Sean Grant (Wexford).
